The US military is the single largest consumer of oil in the world

[mudplanet]

Time for a Change's post about the collapse of civilization (http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Time%20for%20change/606)reveals some pretty startling facts, the most serious of which is that the US military is an engine to perpetuate world conflicts because it has to have all the oil to survive.

If we could just get rid of the US military and the DOD entirely (let's keep the Coast Guard) we'd end our budget problem immediately, probably become energy independent, end the cause of most of the warfare, and be able to turn America into a garden.

http://www.energybulletin.net/node/29925

[Drale]

1. I don't know if this is still true

but I had heard a while ago that the Navy was fully using Biofuels. Anyone know if they still do?

[NutmegYankee]

4. Not fully yet. They are working on that goal however.

Jets have been tested on 50/50 mixes of bio-fuel and normal jet fuel and several ships now have "sailed" under power by bio-fuel.

[sarcasmo]

2. World Police, can't cut that budget but Social Security no problem.

[Ramulux]

3. Thats insane

I did not know that. Imagine how much we could help the environment and reduce our dependence on oil if we just gutted the military. Its pretty depressing when you think about it, the largest consumer of oil on the planet is funded by our tax payer dollars and is completely and totally unnecessary, those tanks, jets, and trucks shouldn't even exist, let alone cost us billions in fuel costs.

[Spider Jerusalem]

5. Um, no

Wouldn't become energy independent; not at all. The US military used 117 million barrels of oil in 2006 (the last year for which data are available). In contrast, the US as a whole uses 20 million barrels a day (of which military use only accounts for 320,000, based on 2006 consumption levels). The US produces c. 5.5 million barrels of crude oil a day; eliminate all military use of just oil and it still does nothing at all to secure energy independence, not when military use accounts for less than 2% of oil used and less than 1% of total energy.

[Ichingcarpenter]

6. I really think you are WRONG

I've read too much over the years

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR LINKS to back up your facts.
which is why you didn't put them in.

[Spider Jerusalem]

7. I think you have no idea what you're talking about

One of the links was given in the OP: http://www.energybulletin.net/node/29925

Also see here: http://www.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_crd_crpdn_adc_mbblpd_m.htm

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. I read it .... it says different

that what you see.

[Spider Jerusalem]

9. Since you apparently can't read:

FACT 1: The DoD's total primary energy consumption in Fiscal Year 2006 was 1100 trillion Btu. It corresponds to only 1% of total energy consumption in USA.

FACT 6: The U.S. military consumed almost 180 million barrels (or 490 thousand barrels per day) of oil in 1985 worldwide. In 2006, its oil consumption was down to 117 million barrels (or 320 thousand barrels per day),<10> despite increasing activity in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Both of those are from the first link. 320K barrels of oil, per day; see here for present total oil consumption in the US (Dept. of Energy figures say 18 million barrels a day): http://www.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_cons_psup_dc_nus_mbblpd_m.htm

So no, I'm sorry, but eliminating the total energy use of the US military will do fuck-all in terms of reducing US energy use and securing energy independence.

[jberryhill]

11. Ummmm.....

The US consumes about 20 million barrels a day.

Let's say that the DoD consumed 51% of that, at a generous $50 per barrel. Nevermind that the DoD consumes refined product, and not crude oil.

That alone would make the annual military budget more than 365 billion dollars a year.

In 2010, the total military budget was around 664 billion.

Of course, the markup on refined product is large, and good luck finding $50 a barrel crude.

But even on that back of the envelope limit, you are saying you believe more than half of the Pentagon budget is paying for fuel?

[Hawkeye-X]

10. More reason to shut down the empire building and roll back ALL troops

and use the Department of Defense as it was intended - COUNTRY DEFENSE AND REQUEST BY NATO/UN TO HELP.

Nothing more. No more wars of aggression, and no more empire building.

After that, cut the damn budget by 90%.

Then the oil needs will be cut by 90%.

Hawkeye-X

[NutmegYankee]

12. If the US got rid of it's military, it would be immediately occupied.

We have made a lot of enemies over the years who would just enjoy paying us back. It wouldn't matter if we asked for forgiveness, we would be in for a world of hurt. Even if you feel we deserve it for our actions these past years, our children do not. We have to maintain a strong military (Navy in particular) to stay independent and free.

I'm not saying we need to occupy other countries or fight useless wars, but we cannot just completely disarm either.

[Statistical]

13. No we wouldn't. No nuclear power has ever been invaded.

The ability to instantly kill hundreds of millions of people in a flash of light tens to discourage invasions.

Nobody is suggesting we should have no military, however someday we need to accept we are no longer a hegemony and cut our military expenditures.


No other country has a super carrier and we have 11 super carriers with goal of building 11 NEW Ford class super carriers are replacements over the next 50 years. How about I know this is scary we only build 5 super carriers.

[NutmegYankee]

14. We wouldn't have nuclear weapons.

Go read the OP and you will understand what I am objecting to (Key word: entirely)

I know it's a BS scenario, but I keep seeing people on DU advocate a 100% cut in the Military. It may sound neat to type out on a message board, but is utterly impractical in the real world.

[Statistical]

15. I gotcha. I agree it is stupid and I guess my brain just filters completely stupid ideas.

We can significantly cut the military, and we can pull back from foreign bases but we won't ever cut military expenditures to $0.00.

[NutmegYankee]

21. agreed.

We could maintain a much smaller army and marine corp without the need to go occupy nations. I still think a large Navy is smart as we have a lot of shipping we need to protect around the world.

[mudplanet]

17. Occupied by whom?

Since we spend more on our military than all other countries combined and we can't even effectively occupy fucking Afghanistan, either we're completely inept or no one else has anywhere near the resources to occupy us.

I leaning toward both explanations

[bhikkhu]

20. Too many guns, too much territory, natives too hostile

Realistically, the US (without its military) is a very long way from being an "occupiable" country - we'd be like Afghanistan on steroids.

A more likely strategy would be for a foreign power to buy into the GOP, for instance, and run a puppet show of pseudo-patriotic masters from behind the scenes.

[NutmegYankee]

22. It depends on the method.

We follow some tight rules for "civilized warfare" while occupying nations. An occupying power could just as easily round up every third household in a neighborhood and shoot them en mass in the street as punishment for guerrilla attacks.

[L0oniX]

23. LOL

[valerief]

16. I wonder how much of the US (sans military around the world) uses oil. nt

[timo]

18. drones are green

I bet they get good gas mileage thats why Obama uses them to kill people around the globe!!!

[PacerLJ35]

19. The military has been developing technologies to go green for a while

[bhikkhu]

24. Very true

While the WH since Reagan has denied that there is anything we need to worry about as far as peak oil, the military hasn't the luxury of delusional thinking. I think I was reading they plan to be entirely oil-independent by 2025 or so.

[mudplanet]

25. They could go really green by just disappearing

[PacerLJ35]

26. ...because that's realistic...

You can go back to your fairy-tale world now. Thanks for the input though.

[PacerLJ35]

27. Increasing energy costs are also pushing this

Very few people know this but there are a few bases that are entirely green...I was at Dyess AFB and it was run off of 100% wind power. They have been testing biofuels to replace JP-8 jet fuel and so far have had pretty good results.